By my count, the Brumbies have played three teams of consequence this season.
The first two – the Chiefs and Blues – thrashed them and the other side are their traditional bunny, particularly in Canberra.
Good on the Brumbies for beating the Hurricanes the other day. I think I even tipped that one.
Nothing to do with any hunch about the Brumbies. I just thought the Hurricanes were due a defeat. Especially in the Australian Capital Territory, where they almost never win anyway.
What’s that now? Nine losses for the Hurricanes in their last 10 starts in Canberra?
So, forgive me for not wanting to read anything into this 27-19 result.
Australia’s Super Rugby sides might be faring better in 2024, but they still have a long way to go. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Or at least nothing that suggests the Brumbies are legitimate Super Rugby Pacific title contenders this year or are unearthing any elite international talent that will trouble the All Blacks come The Rugby Championship.
Sometimes a win is just a win and doesn’t herald any more than that.
That said, I’ve always admired the Brumbies.
Set pieces haven’t been a strong suit of Australian rugby for a long time now..
But in Canberra, they’ve kept rugby’s traditional – and most effective – values alive.
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Excellent scrummaging, sound lineout and outstanding rolling mauls have made the Brumbies relevant at a time when their fellow Australian franchises have often been anything but.
Backs that occasionally go missing or can’t execute under pressure haven’t helped the Brumbies be a truly elite Super Rugby side in the last 10 years, but I’ve always taken my hat off to the toil of the forwards.
Even in the halcyon days of George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, I couldn’t help feeling the success of those Brumbies teams was built on the back of blokes like Owen Finegan.
In fact, I can pay Finegan no higher tribute than saying I wish he’d been an All Black, rather than a Wallaby.
Which gets me to where I’m trying to go with this column.
The Brumbies might be able to win against the Hurricanes in Canberra, but can they away from home against the top teams? (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
When I survey New Zealand and Australia’s Super Rugby Pacific sides, the only hope I think the Wallabies have in this year’s Bledisloe Cup clashes is the calamitous Damian McKenzie.
For all the talent that’s been lost – notably Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick – the All Blacks will still muster a competitive forward pack.
Tyrel Lomax, who first came to rugby prominence in Canberra, is emerging as an effective tighthead prop.
Asafo Aumua, if fit, appears ready to make a name for himself on the test stage and Ethan de Groot is world class.
Lock, beyond Scott Barrett, is a bit more wide open, but Patrick Tuipulotu has rarely let New Zealand down in the past.
The loose forwards, led by Ardie Savea, will probably be decent as well.
Overall, I just don’t see Australia competing up front with that, regardless of where the Brumbies sit on the Super Rugby table or how heartening people think it was to see them beat the Hurricanes.
The levelling factor, if there proves to be one, could be McKenzie.
In Dunedin last year, the All Blacks had the luxury of bringing Richie Mo’unga on, after McKenzie had helped Australia to a 17-3 halftime lead.
Mo’unga’s not here anymore and, despite ample evidence that what works for McKenzie in Super Rugby doesn’t seem to in tests, plenty of folk regard him as New Zealand’s starting first five-eighth this year.
I don’t mind it for the comedy value, with that Dunedin game a case in point.
Damian McKenzie might carve up in Super Rugby but he hasn’t shown what’s needed to dominate in the No.10 jersey for the All Blacks. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
As a quick aside, Whitelock and Retallick won’t just be missed for their playing ability. They also had the standing to tell someone like McKenzie if they were unimpressed with his option-taking.
I’m not sure who that player is now.
What I do know is that, for all the virtues of Brumbies props James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa, Australia isn’t any better served at first five-eighth either.
Tom Wright can impress against the Hurricanes and Corey Toole can have all the pace in the world, but it’s of minimal value if your forward pack’s on the back foot and the guy at 10 is a slight liability.
So, as I’ve said, good on the Brumbies for being third on the ladder and well done on beating the Hurricanes.
But there have been some pretty soft fixtures on that schedule and we know the Hurricanes aren’t much chop in Canberra.
In terms of the big picture, Australia remains a long way off having the personnel to dominate test matches the way Gregan, Larkham and even Finegan once did.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
But obviously with you seemingly not knowing what culture is we understand
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Real attached....half drive forklifts in Sydney's west..
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Didn't have the nouse to canoe to Oz but sure made up for it with the advent of jet engine...
Qualify
Roar Rookie
Would be great if they could kick for goal too!! Dunning-style! :laughing:
Wizz
Roar Rookie
So true...we can produce a decent front row but any injury and we are kaput!! I've always said coaches if yesteryears just picked scrummagers and that was it..these days we are looking for these props that do it all except goal kicking that's been the error .Slipper is great around the park and knows the game he just can scrimmage against the big boys and that's fatal too a team.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Haven't watched much of the Brums this year but will be watching all the rest of there games this season and am very keen too see Swains improvement or lack of because I think Skelton will be one lock and who partners him is crucial because they must be busy extra ordinary at lineout time and hurt in defence to act as the perfect wingman too the big man...
cs
Roar Guru
huh?
pm
Roar Rookie
It is a bit. Cause he’s not doing enough analysis of Super’s individual players. He’s just saying guys like Ardie Savea and Scott Barrett and Ethan de Groot are good players. Kiwis are entitled to a bit of that till we get over them but it’s disappointing an expert columnist not just another fan doesn’t come up with better. Pretty lazy stuff really. The experts and pros on theroar are usually better than this.
Crusher_13
Roar Rookie
His carry is far too soft, and he might work hard in defense but he doesn’t hit hard enough in tight. Great in the lineout but not a lineout caller. Swain is a far better caller and maul defender, while Neville is also a better maul defender. Frost made a few great cover tackles. But he is needed to do what international locks are paid to do.
MrEflord
Roar Rookie
Saying it twice doesn’t make it true
MrEflord
Roar Rookie
Absolutely shocked. Clearly you don’t watch or know rugby. Rugby forwards are specialised. And so far you’ve named 1 player. I’ll help you out with another who was a failure Garrick Morgan.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
I'll leave my judgement till after the Rugby Champs Jacko, as we'll be seeing quite a few new faces IMO.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
I just referred to Thorn by telling you he came from a rugby background & not from league as you insinuated !
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
My point is simply that forwards can transition to being forwards and that most good ones are taken by the NRL from rugby's youth ranks.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
The point is simply that forwards can transition to being forwards and that most good ones are taken from rugby's junior ranks by the NRL.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
'As we know League forwards have trouble in coming across to rugby & playing in the forwards due to the different skill sets involved.' Muzzo we don't know as no one else aside from Thorn ever tried. He is literally the only example and an enormous success.
MrEflord
Roar Rookie
And your point is? He’s a kiwi! My whole point is Australian Rugby isn’t developing world leading forwards…. We need to be producing more, we need multiple players in each position to ensure development. That’s stopped since about 2000.
Dualcode
Roar Rookie
Sounds like a problem similar to 2nd tier nations on how far the Wallabies have regressed ever since Fiji and Wales disposed of them back in France last year, I've always reckoned that ACT and QLD had the best Aussie players although Super Rugby is one thing and TRC is another challenge altogether. But anyways, the Bledisloe woes says it all.
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
That is very interesting, Fats. Perhaps an article or one of those video chat things on it for The Roar where you put the suggestion to various other scrum experts and they respond.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Then again KPM, Thorn didn't come from League, as a young fella he played in the Taieri Rugby Clubs age group in Mosgiel, where his father, who was a handy player, played. That was well before he & his whanau emigrated to Brisbane. As it was, it was his father that wanted him to go back & try to get selected for the AB's to which he did. As we know League forwards have trouble in coming across to rugby & playing in the forwards due to the different skill sets involved.